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Week in Tech: A wooden adventure bike and more

Here’s the Week in Tech — all the gear news, tips, and announcements you need and none of the marketing gibberish you don’t.

Predict the Milano-Sanremo winning time and win big with Rapha

Photo: Rapha

To celebrate the start of cycling’s Monuments, Rapha is challenging fans to predict the winning time of each of the races for a chance to win big. The person who predicts the closest time to the actual race winner will score a sweet prize that could include a trip to France, a Canyon bike, or loads of Rapha gear.

The competition starts with Saturday’s Milano-Sanremo and prizes will be awarded to the winning guess after each race. Even if you don’t win, all entrants receive a 20 percent discount to use on the Rapha site or in Clubhouses globally.

Prizes for each Monument
Milano-Sanremo: Three-day, five-star cycling holiday with the Rapha Cycling Club on the French Cote d’Azur.

— Tour of Flanders: Canyon Endurace CF SL Disc 8.0 bike.

— Paris-Roubaix: Rapha Travel Randonneé to any of the 2017 destinations.

— Liège-Bastogne-Liège: $1,000 voucher to spend on a Rapha wardrobe for the new season.

New aerodynamic Elemnt Bolt cycling computer from Wahoo

Photo: Wahoo

Wahoo introduced its new Elemnt Bolt cycling GPS computer that offers basically the same functions and features as the original Elemnt computer, just in a smaller and more aerodynamic package. Wahoo worked with aerodynamics expert Dimitris Katsanis — the designer behind British Cycling’s track bike that debuted at the 2002 Olympics and components of Bradley Wiggins’ 2015 Hour Record bike — to design a computer and mount system that helps reduce drag.

According to Wahoo, the smooth front surface and tapered shape of the computer reduces air resistance by 50 percent over other leading cycling computers. That works out to a 12.6-second savings in a 40-kilometer time trial when riding at 21 mph. The Elemnt Bolt retails for $250 and is now available for purchase.

Modern Mavic Open Pro aluminum wheels

Photo: Mavic

Mavic’s line of aluminum Open Pro rims get some modern updates, including wider rims, disc brake options, and tubeless compatibility. Internal rim widths are expanded to 19mm to work more seamlessly with wider tire options. The Open Pros are available in three rim versions: Exalith (includes brake pads), UB Control, and disc brake models. They’re also available in 32, 28, or 24-hole options for a variety of choices to suit a range of bikes and preferences.

Selle Royal spring saddles

Photo: Selle Royal

Italian saddle maker Selle Royal introduced a new line of limited edition Ta+too saddles designed to celebrate the return of spring. Inspired by landscapes from around the world, designers Malika Favre, Simone Massoni, and Giovanna Giuliano mixed funky colors and designs “to celebrate the awakening of spring,” according to Selle Royal.

These designs are offered with the company’s modular Ta+too saddles that are constructed with an attachment system that allows the saddle to be changed or removed with ease. This allows riders to regularly switch between different designs.

Renovo’s new hardwood adventure bike

Photo: Renovo

Portland-based Renovo Hardwood Bicycles introduced a new adventure bike — named the John Day — that is made from black walnut and spruce hardwoods. It uses a hollow frame construction engineered specifically for extra vibration damping to provide a smooth ride over mixed terrain. The frame design includes “longbow” seat stays, a wide and flat down tube, curved top tube, and hollow chain stays. The John Day also features Internal cable routing, disc brakes, rack and fender mounts, and clearance for 40mm tires. The frameset is available for $4,250, while a full build starts at $6,150.